Habitat specialization and sensitivity to change in a threatened crayfish occupying upland streams

1. Crayfish are culturally and ecologically important species in freshwater ecosystems, but many are now threatened with extinction, due to threats such as habitat loss. Depending on their habitat selectivity and sensitivity, freshwater crayfish could provide effective targets for stream monitoring, restoration and conservation. This study used repeated field surveys of the threatened Murray crayfish, Euastacus armatus (family Parastacidae), to establish their habitat preferences and sensitivity to habitat loss across mesohabitat and microhabitat scales within upland streams of south‐east Australia. 2. Selectivity analysis revealed that upland populations of E. armatus displayed a strong preference for areas of intermediate water flow velocity, deeper water, and stream beds dominated by boulders and gravel. Variations in E. armatus density among and within the two upland streams aligned with these microhabitat preferences, with best‐subsets analyses revealing that E. armatus abundance hotspots were best predicted by models combining water depth with percentage cover of boulders, gravel and overhanging riparian vegetation. 3. Major shifts in stream habitat condition from 2009 to 2015 (e.g. 32% and 50% decline in boulder and overhanging vegetation cover, respectively) was associated with a 91% decline in E. armatus mean density within glide‐pool mesohabitats. 4. These findings highlight how habitat specialization in threatened crayfish such as E. armatus may render them sensitive to changes in stream habitat condition, and how targeted monitoring, restoration and conservation of their preferred habitats could yield multiple benefits for montane freshwater ecosystems. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

河滨带生态恢复研究进展

河滨带是重要的水陆交错区，具有一系列独特的性质和生态服务功能。由于自然环境变化以及人类的过度开发，全球范围内河滨带受到严重破坏。鉴于其在河流保护与生态服务等方面的重要作用，近几十年来得到广泛关注，也取得了一些研究成果。文中介绍了河岸湿地的定义及其退化状况，并从恢复物种多样性、改善土壤状况、水文恢复3个方面综述了国内外河滨带生态恢复研究进展，在此基础上分析现今研究存在的问题，并对未来发展趋势进行展望。     

Riparian defoliation by the invasive green alder sawfly influences terrestrial prey subsidies to salmon streams

Invasive species in riparian forests are unique as their effects can transcend ecosystem boundaries via stream‐riparian linkages. The green alder sawfly (Monsoma pulveratum) is an invasive wasp whose larvae are defoliating riparian thin‐leaf alder (Alnus tenuifolia) stands across southcentral Alaska. To test the hypothesis that riparian defoliation by this invasive sawfly negatively affects the flow of terrestrial prey resources to stream fishes, we sampled terrestrial invertebrates on riparian alder foliage, their subsidies to streams and their consumption by juvenile coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch). Invasive sawflies altered the composition of terrestrial invertebrates on riparian alder foliage and as terrestrial prey subsidies to streams. Community analyses supported these findings revealing that invasive sawflies shifted the community structure of terrestrial invertebrates between seasons and levels of energy flow (riparian foliage, streams and fish). Invasive sawfly biomass peaked mid‐summer, altering the timing and magnitude of terrestrial prey subsidies to streams. Contrary to our hypothesis, invasive sawflies had no effect on the biomass of native taxa on riparian alder foliage, as terrestrial prey subsidies, or in juvenile coho salmon diets. Juvenile coho salmon consumed invasive sawflies when most abundant, but relied more on other prey types selecting against sawflies relative to their availability. Although we did not find effects of invasive sawflies extending to juvenile coho salmon in this study, these results could change as the distribution of invasive sawflies expands or as defoliation intensifies. Nevertheless, riparian defoliation by these invasive sawflies is likely having other ecological effects that merits further investigation.     

渠堤化城镇河岸带的植被特征及其用地影响

渠堤化是干扰城镇河流的常见建设方式，掌握植物特征及对其产生显著影响的用地因素，对于优化渠化的城镇河岸植被带具有重要意义。采用样带全面调查的方法，对北京段已基本全线渠堤化潮白河河岸带植物进行调查，通过多重比较分析河岸带植物丰富度在不同空间位置的差异，并利用NMDS非约束排序拟合解译的周边缓冲区土地利用数据，探讨对渠堤化河岸带植物丰富度和种类分布产生显著影响的因素。结果表明:1）河岸带植物种类174种（乔、灌、草分别为52、29、90种），以草本为主；2）全线渠堤化城镇河流河岸带植物群落种类及丰富度均存在建成区和非建成区的显著差异，总体植物、乔木和灌木植物丰富度在建成区显著大于非建成区，但入侵植物沿渠堤化河岸带不存在空间位置的差异，入侵可能沿渠堤蔓延；3）周边缓冲区道路、其他不透水地表面积是城镇地区全线渠堤化河岸带植物丰富度的显著正相关影响因子，对主要观赏灌木和乔木种类分布存在积极影响，对原生灌木和草本种类分布存在消极影响，这种分布特征受人工干扰影响。     

Application of the analytic hierarchy process to riparian revegetation policy options

While riparian vegetation can play a major role in protecting land, water and natural habitat in catchments, there are high costs associated with tree planting and establishment and in diverting land from cropping. The distribution of costs and benefits of riparian revegetation creates conflicts in the objectives of various stakeholder groups, and elicitation of importance weights of objectives and determination of rankings of a number of policy options by these stakeholder groups becomes critical in decision-making. The analytic hierarchy process (AHP) is a multicriteria analysis technique that provides an appropriate tool to accommodate the conflicting views of various stakeholder groups. The AHP allows the users to assess the relative importance of multiple criteria (or multiple alternatives against a given criterion) in an intuitive manner. This paper presents an application of AHP to obtain preference weights of environmental, social and economic objectives which have been used in ranking riparian revegetation policy options in a small catchment (watershed) in north Queensland, Australia. The preference weights towards environmental, economic and social objectives have been obtained for the various stakeholder groups (landholders, representatives of local sugar mill staff, environmentalists, recreational fishers and the local community). The AHP technique has proved useful in eliciting objectives and ranking policy options as well as in checking for consistency of the statements of stakeholder groups. Implementation of this approach requires a complex data elicitation process.     

Heat budget and statistical analysis of the relationship between stream temperature and riparian forest in the Toikanbetsu River basin, northern Japan

Riparian forests greatly influence aquatic ecosystems by providing shade cover, which controls water temperature and limits primary production. We examined the relationship between forest cover and summer stream temperature in northernmost Japan. Heat budget and statistical analyses were employed and the results were compared. Heat budget analysis revealed that the water temperature would decrease almost linearly from 29°C to 25°C with an increase in forested reaches along a 3.2 km stretch of the river. Multiple regression analysis by the stepwise method chose only open channel length as a variable to explain the variation in maximum stream temperature. A sharp increase in stream temperature was noted when riparian forest cover was removed in short lengths, of up to 1.0km; this increasing trend gradually flattened as the length of open stretch increased. Thus, even small openings in the riparian canopy resulted in drastic rises in summer stream temperature. The maximum summer temperatures estimated by the two methods were coincided, and can therefore be accurately estimated by regression analysis. Retrospective analysis based on the regression equation showed that the maximum summer temperature in 1947 was 6°C lower than at present, and that a sharp increase occurred from 1947 to 1960, a period of rapid expansion of agricultural land development in the watershed.     

Biodiversity management approaches for stream–riparian areas: Perspectives for Pacific Northwest headwater forests,microclimates, and amphibians

Stream–riparian areas represent a nexus of biodiversity, with disproportionate numbers of species tied to and interacting within this key habitat. New research in Pacific Northwest headwater forests, especially the characterization of microclimates and amphibian distributions, is expanding our perspective of riparian zones, and suggests the need for alternative designs to manage stream–riparian zones and their adjacent uplands. High biodiversity in riparian areas can be attributed to cool moist conditions, high productivity and complex habitat. All 47 northwestern amphibian species have stream–riparian associations, with a third being obligate forms to general stream–riparian areas, and a quarter with life histories reliant on headwater landscapes in particular. Recent recognition that stream-breeding amphibians can disperse hundreds of meters into uplands implies that connectivity among neighboring drainages may be important to their population structures and dynamics. Microclimate studies substantiate a “stream effect” of cool moist conditions permeating upslope into warmer, drier forests. We review forest management approaches relative to headwater riparian areas in the U.S. Pacific Northwest, and we propose scenarios designed to retain all habitats used by amphibians with complex life histories. These include a mix of riparian and upslope management approaches to address the breeding, foraging, overwintering, and dispersal functions of these animals. We speculate that the stream microclimate effect can partly counterbalance edge effects imposed by upslope forest disturbances, hence appropriately sized and managed riparian buffers can protect suitable microclimates at streams and within riparian forests. We propose one approach that focuses habitat conservation in headwater areas – where present management allows extensive logging – on sensitive target species, such as tailed frogs and torrent salamanders that often occur patchily. Assuming both high patchiness and some concordance among the distribution of sensitive species, protecting areas with higher abundances of these animals could justify less protection of currently unoccupied or low-density habitats, where more intensive forest management for timber production could occur. Also, we outline an approach that protects juxtaposed headwater patches, retaining connectivity among sub-drainages using a 6th-field watershed spatial scale for assuring well-distributed protected areas across forested landscapes. However, research is needed to test this approach and to determine whether it is sufficient to buffer downstream water quality and habitat from impacts of headwater management. Offering too-sparse protection everywhere is likely insufficient to conserve headwater habitats and biodiversity, while our alternative targeted protection of selected headwaters does not bind the entire forest landscape into a biodiversity reserve.     

石羊河中下游河岸植被的结构及其功能研究

为了研究石羊河中下游的河岸植被结构和功能对区域生态环境管理和恢复的意义，依径流量将研究区域分为丰水河段和干涸河段，调查距河床不同间距的植被结构与空间分布，进行植被分类和空间格局分析，讨论其功能。石羊河中下游的河岸植被带宽约200~500 m，分布区域内植物群落类型的80%以上的建群种，拥有18个群丛。河岸植被类型依河床间距呈梯级分布，河岸植被盖度随河床间距增大成指数下降。河岸植被带不仅拥有乔木和沼泽植物组成的隐域性植被类型，是区域特有种栖息地；而且形成景观廊道，连结斑块，稳定区域生态系统，保护河岸、稳定河床、防治水流和风沙灾害，为当地人们提供多用途的娱乐场所和舒适的生活环境。     

北京山区河岸植被的水土保持效益

通过野外简易径流小区的放水冲刷试验,研究北京山区河岸带不同植被类型水土保持效果差异。试验设计4,6,8L/min 3种上方来水流量以及6种植被类型小区坡面,冲刷历时31min,试验过程收集径流泥沙样,分析不同径流小区的产流产沙特征。结果表明:(1)各植被类型小区平均总产流产沙量(43.29L/m~2,0.71kg/m~2)均显著小于裸坡下平均总产流产沙量(65.86L/m~2,3.21kg/m~2)(p0.05)。植被具有明显的减流减沙效益,且减沙效益(78.66%)大于减流效益(36.16%);(2)不同植被类型间减流减沙效果不同,随着放水流量的上升,坡面产流速率、产沙速率不断上升,其中以狗牙根小区平均产流速率(6.16L/min)、平均产沙速率(55.50g/min)最小,水土保持效益较好;(3)不同植被类型小区稳定入渗速率差异显著(p0.05),均大于裸坡条件下的稳定入渗速率(42mm/h),其中以狗牙根小区坡面的径流稳定入渗速率最大(129.0mm/h)。综上所述,植被具有明显的蓄水保土效益,且不同的植被类型间减流减沙效果差异显著。研究结果为北京山区河岸带进行生态环境安全建设以及生态修复提供了基础理论依据,并且为河岸边坡的植被修复物种选择提供了参考依据。     

Conservation of freshwater biodiversity in key areas of the Colombian Amazon

1. Little has been done to identify key conservation areas in the Amazonian freshwater ecosystems of Colombia.
2. This research constitutes the first attempt to systematically identify important conservation areas in the freshwater ecosystems of the South of the Colombian Amazonian Trapezium. This effort considered not only fine filter targets (species) as central elements of decision making, but coarse filter targets (habitats), ecosystem services and social benefits, and threats. Owing to the complexity of the study area, a multi‐criteria assessment constituted a good approach to tackle the issues affecting a complex ecological, cultural, social, economic and political territory.
3. Five sites stood out and were considered important as areas for targeted management: the Tarapoto Lakes System, Yahuarcaca Lakes System, Loreto‐Yacu River, and Mocagua Island (Colombia) and Caballo Cocha Lake (Peru). Biodiversity conservation initiatives as well as livelihood improvement projects are currently in motion in the area aiming to find a balance between resource use and local development.

Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.